


The Raven and The Fox

by iamanidhwal



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Anal Sex, Asrian, Blow Jobs, Bottom Julian Devorak, Clothed Sex, Deepthroating, Dominant Asra (The Arcana), Fellatio, Julian is in love but Asra is in it for sex, Lube, Lucio (The Arcana) Is A Little Shit, Lucio being an ass, M/M, Male Pronouns for Asra (The Arcana), Masquerade, Mentions of Nadia, Mentions of Nadia (The Arcana), Nadia just fucked off to somewhere because she can't even bear Lucio's antics, One-Sided Attraction, Oral Sex, Party, Possibly Unrequited Love, Praise Kink, Public Sex, Quickies, R18, Rough Kissing, Rough Sex, Roughness, Semi-Public Sex, Sex, Smut, Standing Sex, Sub Julian Devorak, Top Asra, Unrequited Love, Voice Kink, explicit - Freeform, masked sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-09-27 19:15:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20412913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamanidhwal/pseuds/iamanidhwal
Summary: For one single night every year, all corners of Vesuvia erupt in bright colors, in dance, in laughter and in celebration as the annual Masquerade begins, on account of the Count's birthday.In the middle of the event, Julian is given a note. And off he goes, a Raven playing cat-and-mouse with a certain Fox, weaving across partygoers to seek reprieve. An escape from the day's events. An escape to each other.





	The Raven and The Fox

**Author's Note:**

> Another self-indulgent Julian/Asra *shrugs* 
> 
> semi-straight diving into the sexy bits

* * *

The annual Masquerade was, arguably, the only thing Vesuvia was known for. That, and its insufferable Count.

Of course, many people in the higher echelons of Vesuvian society would disagree, citing this industry or that as its deciding factor. But no one could really deny the allure of a days-long party, the city practically shining with dazzling lights at night that could be seen flashing in the sky, across fields of wheat and barren desert. The tantalizing notes of music being played inside the Palace and out in the streets, which could be heard even over seawater as ships sail by, craning their necks to get a good look in between masts at the overflowing docks of the city.

And Count Lucio, whose birthday was being celebrated with one of the biggest parties ever to be held, wanted it even grander than the last year. Barking orders left and right for nearly a month, he oversaw everything to perfection, something he only did to the work he took on only if it concerned him and his image. From the various decorations to this year's motif, he dictated everything to all the servants in the Palace, to every public servant out and about ensuring the peace and celebration in the streets of Vesuvia. 

And right now, he was doing just that, at the precipice of ordering for everyone to _have fun, _because for fuck's sake, why weren't they dancing? They were all just gawking at him, swaying nervously to a typically slow beat that the current room's musicians (for there were plenty, one in each and every room open to the public) were playing. He clapped his hands together, making everyone jump as his palm smacked the golden plates of his prosthetic arm and hand.

"Is this _my birthday party, _or my _funeral?!" _he roared, turning on his heel, his golden cape gracefully fluttering as he did so. He rounded on the nearest servant, a broad-chested man in the Palace's usual servants uniform of a doleful looking beige. "You."

The servant squeaked, nearly spilling the tray of drinks he was holding. "Y-Yes!"

"See to it that everyone here is dancing and celebrating," he ordered, taking two flutes of champagne from the tray without preamble, one in each hand. He downed them, one after the other, throwing them back like it was nothing, before replacing them on the tray again. "Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

Lucio turned to go, then turned his head back, squinting at the servant, who was hiding in a plain black mask. "I have a few more questions."

"Uh, sir?"

"Have you seen Noddy anywhere?"

"I-I last saw C-Countess Nadia in the Bubble Room, sir..."

The Count grimaced, his nose wrinkling at the thought. The Bubble Room was always a riot during the Masquerade, attracting a lot of party-goers. But this was the first night, and he, as well as everyone in attendance, knew that only the first-time Masquerade-goers would be gaga enough to line up during the first night of celebrations for a fleeting time floating around in a bubble.

Nadia was in a large room with basically all newcomers, those who were in the Masquerade only for a significant jump in their social status. Lucio would have wanted to entertain them, give them his best impressions, but what were the opinions of mere sheep, bleating praise at everything they found new and shiny and glorious? Empty praise was as helpful to him as a complete palette of paints to a blind person. 

Infuriated, Lucio folded his arms across his chest, his foot tapping on the floor in agitation. "Who else... what about Jules?"

"Jules...? Ah, you mean Doctor Devorak?" the servant blinked owlishly, cringing as Lucio just glared at him even more. "E-Er, I saw him last dancing somewhere, but he's been squirrelled away. I gave him a note earlier, and he left all of a sudden."

That took Lucio's attention. "A note?"

"Y-Yes, sir. I don't know who it was from, it was just given to me by another servant, who had been given to by another..."

At this, Lucio frowned, more confused than upset. He looked around at the throngs of people, who had started to sing and dance and laugh a little more, what with Lucio not attempting to glower at them every other minute. He tried to make out his doctor's fiery red hair, or anyone else he was familiar with, to no avail. Even his in-laws, who had visited all the way from Prakra, were off to different parts of the Palace, no doubt snooping on the thoroughfares and goings-on in the life of their little baby sister Nadia as a Countess.

When he turned back around, the servant he had cornered had fled, nowhere to be seen. Utterly alone, Lucio's frown deepened, the cogs of his mind churning. 

_Now where has everyone disappeared to?_

* * *

Somewhere else, in the other side of the Palace, two masked guests of the Palace had snuck away for a reprieve from a bender-type situation. 

Julian had quite literally been summoned towards something... and, admittedly, some_one. _The note that he had received from the servants surprised him, taken him aback. Flushed from a performance he had done to raucous cheers of the Vesuvian crowd, he had been given the note, which was left unsigned and was what looked to be a ripped end from a scroll. There was no signature, but he didn't need it. The flowing script was recognizable enough. 

_Come find me. (･ω<)☆_

Julian laughed at the cute little face the sender drew. If not for the script, _that _would have tipped the doctor off as to who was sending him notes in the middle of the Masquerade. He looked up from the note, grinning to himself, and he saw Asra's lithe figure sweeping across the crowd. He weaved seamlessly in between throngs of people, and arrived at the door of the room in no time.

He looked up, half of his face hidden behind a mask of a red fox, just to meet eyes with Julian's, hidden behind a mask of a raven. Then a playful smirk grew on his face, before he waved his hand at him across the crowd. Before Julian could call out to him, he slipped outside the door easily, as a file of orderlies came in, bring trayfuls of drink.

And for all it was worth, Julian never shot down an opportunity for hunting down a specific man during one of the busiest and most crowded nights in Vesuvia. "Game on," he whispered to himself as he followed suit.

Finding him was no easy task, and Julian had to crane his neck several times over a sea of masked partygoers, only to glimpse a retreating form with a flowing purple ensemble, or the flash of the unique red fox mask that he was looking for. Julian slipped in between people easily, trying to sneak up on Asra and get a one-up on him. Have _him _be the one to chase him around the Palace.

But every time he seemed to be closing in on the Magician, he'd be distracted by a convenient party-goer, whether it be nearly spilling a handful of entrées on his clothes, or someone who would pull him into conversation, mistaking him to be someone else. He supposed that it was all Asra's doing, him and his little magic tricks. Julian had to smile to himself though, as he was led further away from the main rooms and events, deeper into the Palace. He loved a good challenge, and this one was keeping his interest for the duration of the night.

After a little over two hours, their little game had ended. Julian knew this as soon as he pushed open the door to the library. Often locked with a variety of keys only given to the Countess' choice handmaiden, it was now unlocked, yielding easily when his palm eased it open. The library was dark, the familiar work desks, lounge chairs, and chaises only misshapen objects, partially illuminated by the moonlight streaming in from the arced window high above.

"There you are," he whispered to himself, although in the silence of the library, he might as well have shouted it into the void. Julian closed the door behind him with a soft snap, the echoes of the Masquerade merely a distant phantom of what the party was. All he could focus on was Asra's still form, standing directly in the middle of the room, being bathed by the soft moonlight.

Julian carefully stepped toward him, making sure his footsteps were loud enough that Asra wouldn't be surprised. When he was already behind him, Asra turned around, a soft smile on his face. 

"Here I am," he said quietly, the red fox mask still sitting on his face. He didn't know if it was real or not, but Julian thought that Asra was absolutely glowing. His breath caught in his throat as he surveyed just how _beautiful _the other man looked, with his Masquerade outfit and his ever-present mysterious aura around him. 

But what really ensnared him was the familiar, mischievous glint he found in Asra's eyes. Julian chuckled, and leaned forward to kiss him, angling his head just so that their masks wouldn't be an obstacle. 

Their kisses started soft enough, reaching toward each other in the dark as though they had been apart for far too long. Asra reciprocated in kind, leaning forward to Julian's touch and warmth. Hands wrapped tenderly around each other, Julian's at Asra's waist, and Asra's around Julian's neck. Pulling each other closer, celebrating in the physical presence of the other, cherishing the warmth between their bodies.

Julian didn't know who started it, but their kisses became more fervent, desperate and rough. Teeth clashed together, tongues wrestled inside mouths as they grew even more passionate. Hands would move on their own, tug and twirl and squeeze on different parts of the other's body, earning a sharp intake of breath, a soft hiss or a whispered moan.

It didn't take long for them to start undressing, either, hands working faster and faster to unbutton, unknot, and pull free their skins from the inhibitions kept together by something so flimsy as _clothing. _Julian's hands gleefully felt each and every familiar line on the expanse of Asra' skin, noting with satisfaction some dark splotches here and there where his love bites from their last time together had still to heal. 

One last kiss as Julian crowded Asra against a desk (he wasn't sure whether it was his or the magician's), before he fell to his knees, making quick work to unlatch the skirt Asra was wearing from behind him. Asra let him, carding his fingers through Julian's tousled hair as his bottom piece fell in a pool of cloth around his ankles. 

Julian wasted no time, lazily stroking Asra's cock in one hand as his lips started teasing the tip. He caught Asra's chest rise and fall erratically as his tongue swirled on the head, before he took his familiar girth in, making eye contact as much as possible. He bobbed his head, making sure to angle his head just enough so that he could see Asra's face, and that Asra could see him in turn. Their masks were still on, he thought, but wasn't that fun to imagine? 

He smirked around the thickness in his mouth, then leaned forward even more, nearly burying his nose at the fine hairs on Asra's skin. The magician nearly choked in surprise, and Julian had to lean back at that, pumping his hand quickly with the spit glistening on Asra's cock. "I should be the one doing that, you know," he said playfully.

"I didn't know you could do that," Asra admitted, lip curling in delight.

"Well, I suppose I'll need to show my tricks off evert once in a while," he hummed, going back down on him. He shivered in delight as Asra tucked a stray lock of curly hair behind Julian's ear. 

And as though Asra had challenged him, he continued to please, showing off a few more techniques he had learned. From using his tongue to lap up the underside of his cock as well as tease the slit on the tip, he made sure that the magician was left breathless, groaning from sheer pleasure. The doctor only stopped when he saw the Asra's knuckles were already bone-white from where it was clamped on the edge of the desk, and when Asra's knees were already buckling.

He stood up again, this time giving chaste kisses to the other man, short and sweet and _definitely _teasing him with the taste of his own flesh. Asra didn't buy the sweet, innocent trick for a moment. His hand snaked around Julian's waist, squeezing the hipbone and making him moan loudly, his voice echoing around the cavernous room. 

"My turn," he whispered into his ear, and Julian merely nodded. 

Asra all but pushed Julian against the nearest bookshelf, crowding him against it with eager kisses. Once Julian was pliant enough, he bit on his lower lip hard, making him groan. "Turn around," he said, and Julian complied, turning away from Asra to face the spines of tomes, of varied sizes and varied age. 

Just as he did earlier, the magician wasted no time in taking Julian as his hostage. Snaking his arms around his waist, he expertly undid the chain of his belt, and unbuttoned his pants before pulling them down, careful enough for him not to ruffle the long, black feathers that had been attached to it. Asra made him step out of them, and he carefully put their bottoms together, spread out as to not crumple from their position on the floor.

Just as he did so, Asra momentarily bent over to retrieve something that was tied under the folds of his skirt, before returning to Julian, shivering in anticipation as he stood buck-naked from the waist down.

A faint _pop _made Julian's ears perk up, recognizing a cork stopper being pulled from a bottle. He looked over his shoulder at Asra, who was, sure enough, holding a small purple bottle in his hands. "You're prepared tonight, huh?"

Asra merely chuckled in acknowledgement, upending the liquid into his palm. It was rich and thick, oily but not too much, and smelled utterly delicious. The magician closed the distance between their bodies. His other hand snaked around to Julian's chest, then pushed him so his back was flushed against Asra's chest. "Try to relax."

And he did, especially when he felt Asra's fingers penetrate him slowly. The lube made it immensely easier for it to slip in, and he was silently thankful for any God above that Asra had had the foresight to bring the liquid with him. Although in the back of Julian's mind, this extra preparation must have been a peek into what was an elaborate plan to seduce him tonight, but he couldn't find it in him to care for it. Especially not with the man's breath hot on his ear, and his finger inside of him, working him open.

All he could do was moan and try to steady himself, parting his legs to give Asra more access. Soon, one finger became two, and Julian involuntarily arched his back to get a better angle. Asra noticed this, and kissed the back of Julian's neck as he scissored his fingers in him, making sure he was well-adjusted and well-lubricated.

"Please," was all Julian could make out after some time, the haze of lust clouding over his mind and barring any logical thought to take root and grow. Asra acquiesced, pulling his fingers out from inside him. 

Asra turned him back around, pushing so his back was against the shelf and kissing him gently. He had the purple bottle on his hand again, no doubt to lube up his cock, which hung in between his legs so deliciously, where Julian could see it in all its naked glory. 

"Ready?" Asra asked, tilting his head. It made him look all the more curious and mysterious, what with the mask still on. Julian just nodded, mapping the shelves for the steadiest handholds he could find. 

The magician merely smiled, then bent to take one of Julian's leg off from the ground. He made it curl around his hip, waiting for Julian to find balance as he lined his cock into his entrance. 

There was a non-verbal agreement between the two of them, passing from the eyes hiding under their masks, as Asra entered Julian. He moaned slowly into the expanse of pale skin not covered by Julian's suit, as the doctor's body was deliciously slick and warm, yielding easily to his touch and taking him in without a hitch of pained breath. By the low growl that made Julian's chest vibrate, he was feeling the same satisfactory feeling Asra was, too.

No words spoken between them, just their heated pants swirlinf between their mouths as their bodies adjusted to the novel feeling. Asra started out with a slow pace, treading the waters carefully before finding a better-suited rhythm for him and his partner. Julian, to his credit, had thrown his head back, moaning and throwing out half-formed words that Asra couldn't even begin to understand.

Heat pooled in between their bodies, especially where they had been joined together, as they moved in sync. Julian really couldn't hold back, and he belatedly felt thankful Asra had thought to meet and do this in the library, where it was very nearly soundproof. Had they done it somewhere else, they would have easily been caught even before Julian could touch Asra below the proverbial belt. 

And as for Asra, he was moaning in pleasure as well, planting soft kisses on the skin that Julian had exposed. None of those kisses included sucking, or teeth -- the two criteria that Julian felt was needed in _all _kisses that were given to the skin -- but he knew that Asra was only thinking of the repercussions after this quick rendezvous. They would have to attend the party for at least two more nights after this one, and as guests of the Palace they were to behave their best. Julian internally snorted at the thought. Squirrelling about behind the Count's back in the middle of celebrations to fuck like horny teenagers was decidedly _not _in the list of good behavior.

"Stop... ah... thinking." Asra whispered the words against his collarbones, adjusting them both to a better angle, one that made him reach Julian even deeper. The cry of pleasure from the doctor made him smirk, and he continued his relentless pace. "Focus on me."

And Julian did, all thoughts of the Palace and the Count fading away into a colorful blur in the background. His arms found themselves circling Asra's neck, and he kissed him incessantly, over and over, as he pushed all other things in his mind out of it. All he could do was focus on their shared breaths, their loud sounds, and the feeling of _warmth _and _fullness _that edged him closer and closer, with every snap of Asra's hips.

"_Fuck...!_" he said intelligently as Asra's cock brushed against a spot in him. The magician knew, reading it in his face plain as day, and decided to shoot for it again. His one leg steadily on the ground nearly gave out as he squealed in pleasure. Each thrust of Asra's sent him arching his back and crying out for more. And Asra was just too willing to comply with every scandalous request that fell from Julian's lips.

He could feel himself step closer and closer to the edge with every thrust of Asra's hips, and he wasn't bowling over without dragging the magician down with him. His hands tugged against the soft curls atop Asra's head, making sure not to tangle it against the rubber band holding his mask in place, although with their rigorous _exercise, _it had slipped a fraction from its usual place. Julian could see the beads of sweat forming against Asra's hairline, and he leaned up t lick them away, pressing kisses and murmuring praise against his hair.

He didn't know what he did, but Asra's rhythm faltered for a little. There was a pause in which Asra groaned something that Julian didn't quite catch against the cloth of his feathered coat, but he had only a faint idea of what it was, bolstered by the fact that Asra's arms had turned into vice-like claws, possessively holding Julian in place.

It felt like a few minutes, but was only half of it, before he continued again, each upward motion of his hips driving it straight home. Julian felt powerless, could only squeeze Asra ever closer. His vision was already blurry - whether from the pleasure or from his mask slipping, he had no idea. 

"Come," Asra commanded, his voice nary above a whisper but nonetheless stern. Julian whimpered, rolling his hips to match his pace and fulfil his demand as soon as possible. 

There were so many things that were going through Julian's head, so many sentences he wanted to blurt out. A litany of praise, encouragements, professions of love, affection, adoration - swirling, of course, with the tank of swears and cusswords that would render even the most fearsome pirate lord blushing at the absolute _scandal _of hearing said words.

He looked up at Asra's eyes, shining like two glistening amethysts in the dark, and wondered if those eyes of his could see through him. See through the cracks in his facade of false bravado, seep through the cracks, dive under all of his insecurities, stare at his rotten core that knew for a fact that he didn't deserve him, didn't deserve his attention, yet craved for it. He wished it, fantasized it, that Asra had foregone all his warnings, and had accepted him just the same -- Julian, with all his what ifs and roughs angles.

The thought of it was what brought him to orgasm, stuttering and biting his tongue as he involuntarily screamed in pleasure. He didn't know if he could arch his back any more, but apparently he could, doing so as he cried out Asra's name into the stale air inside the library.

Asra kept pumping however, his hand milking Julian's cock of every drop he could give in tune to his hips still moving. Until he, too, stuttered to a halt, a noise that was a mix of a strangled cry and a garbled wail escaped the magician's lips as he, too, reached his climax. Julian closed his eyes and sighed wistfully, holding his trembling form as he felt warmth envelop him from inside, bliss coating him from head to toe.

After their breaths and heartbeats had levelled, and their bodies stopped shivering from fatigue and pleasure, Asra finally pulled away, extricating himself from the cage that Julian had made with his long limbs, effectively keeping him close. Julian chased after his warmth, holding onto his fingers and pulling him forward to place a soft kiss on his mouth. Something that Asra, blessedly, returned in kind.

* * *

"So." The magician finally spoke after some time, already pulling on his clothes and fixing every aspect of his appearance back to how it was before their little romp. "See you?"

Julian blushed, pausing in the middle of pulling up his discarded pants over his boots. They were significantly easier to take off than put them on with his clunky footwear on, and he was still dizzy with their quickie, so he didn't understand what Asra meant by such a vague question. "What?"

"See you around," Asra clarified with a chuckle, leaning closer to help him rebuckle his belt around the loops of his trousers. Julian shivered, the slick running down his legs from his ass keeping the memory fresh in his mind. "And keep an eye out for another note. So don't you try and be too busy with other people tonight."

At that, the doctor's eyebrows shot up to his hairline, and all he could do was laugh at the prospect of yet another chase, another location, and another act. "Shall I give you a head start?"

Asra didn't answer, merely giggling to himself and winking over his shoulder as he slipped out of the door. He mentally counted up to a hundred before he too, re-entered the party , eager to take up a new leg of the chase. He slipped past throngs of partygoers, who had not even an inkling of a clue as to what had just transpired between the two.


End file.
